She gave a brief thought that this could work in her favor. Once home, things could be sorted out, then she recalled Tarass, the Lord of Fire, and how stubborn and unmovable a man he was, and she knew it would never work. Tarass would return Slatter to his dungeon, and there was a good possibility he’d make her a widow.

Her choice was easy.

She ran forward to help her husband and just as she did, an arm snagged her around the waste and yanked her away.

Chapter 6

Willow struggled to break free only to be spun around to face the man who had snagged her. She silently admonished herself for not realizing that Tarass wouldn’t only send two warriors to find Slatter. She was familiar with this warrior as well, Rhodes. He had come to her complaining of a rash when she had tended Slatter. However, she was not familiar with the three other warriors who rushed past them to join in the hunt for Slatter.

“You’ll stay with me until this gets sorted out,” Rhodes commanded.

She had little choice, since his hand moved to keep a good grip on her arm.

Chaos reigned with the warriors rushing through the market and it didn’t take long to realize it was as if they were chasing a ghost. There was no sight of Slatter. He had disappeared.

“Find him!” Rhodes shouted when the warriors stopped and looked around confused, one scratching his head.

They scurried at Rhodes’ command, spreading out throughout the market.

Willow hurried her steps to keep up with Rhodes as he rushed her past the market stalls to the front of the village, away from curious eyes and whispering tongues.

“What are you doing here?” Rhodes asked. “I thought you were visiting Sorrell.”

She turned the question on him. “What brought you here?”

He responded as she expected he would, since most people respond to a question without thinking about it.

“Slatter escaped the group he had been handed over to and we’ve been sent to find him.”

Willow noticed that Rhodes didn’t mention that the group consisted of barbarians, but then the Lord of Fire often seemed a man of mystery to her, keeping things to himself.

“And you? Where is your escort?” Rhodes asked.

Willow turned her head casually from side to side. “They’re somewhere around here.”

“They leave you alone, unprotected?” Rhodes shook his head. “That is unacceptable. I will have a word with them.”

He obviously didn’t know that she had been abducted. Either William had never made it to the Macardle Clan or Rhodes and his men had left before the news of her abduction arrived. The problem now was what did she do?

Rhodes would soon discover she was not with Ruddock’s warriors and would question what had happened to her. Did she speak the truth? Did she return home with Tarass’s warriors? Did she have a choice?

She wouldn’t tell Rhodes about Slatter. As odd as it seemed, she felt that if she mentioned anything about him, she would be betraying her husband. Besides, he had helped her escape Beck and she was grateful to him for that. She could return home and say nothing about her marriage to Slatter. No one would ever need know.